Dar, Grossi back Islamabad MoU to defuse tensions

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar spoke with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General and candidate for UN Secretary-General Rafael Grossi about the evolving regional situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said on Tuesday. According to the post on X, MoFA said, Dar and Grossi spoke late last night and agreed that implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) "remained the best course of action to defuse tensions". "Grossi offered technical support should the need arise," the ministry added. The ministry further added that Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's "enduring commitment" to advancing the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respecting international law and treaties. DPM Dar also highlighted "the crucial importance of the UN system" in realising the global peace and development agenda and also wished Ambassador Grossi well in his campaign for the office of UN secretary-general, the MoFA added. Lebanon support Separately, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's support for Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity during a meeting with Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the DPM received Al-Hajjar at the Foreign Office in Islamabad and expressed Pakistan's desire to further strengthen bilateral ties, including cooperation in law enforcement and people-to-people contacts. "The two ministers discussed Pakistan-Lebanon relations and law-enforcement cooperation and welcomed the signing of the agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons as an important milestone in bilateral legal cooperation," the statement said. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest and expressed their desire to expand cooperation.